


Watt is Love

by firegrilled



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Biologist! Marco, Drag Show, Engineer! Jean, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Isaac Newton - Freeform, M/M, One Shot, puns for days
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 19:03:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5509526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firegrilled/pseuds/firegrilled
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jean Kirschtein has a problem: he doesn't know how to tell his roommate and best friend Marco Bodt that he likes him. Science, puns, and shenanigans ensue as he finds the right moment to tell him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Watt is Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mrbobbobbert](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrbobbobbert/gifts).



It started off as a childish crush, really. First week of college, first day of chemistry lab, but not the first day of classes. That would’ve been too cliché for Jean’s tastes, not that the rest of the story was any better in that department. Seats were assigned randomly for each lab station, not that Jean particularly cared either. He was a city boy well out of his comfort zone in a college far from home but thankfully free from his parent’s choking expectations and rules. He knew no one and that was fine by him. What he didn’t expect was the ray of sunshine that was seated by him who would become his best friend, roommate, and first college crush.

“Jean Kirschtein?” A quiet voice asked.

His eyes darted in the direction of the meek person, finding a tall but lanky teen staring at him. “Yeah?”

His answer brought a smile to the freckled person’s face. “Awesome, my name is Marco Bodt. I’m your lab partner.”

His lab partner stuck his hand out, expectantly waiting for a shake. Jean blinked a few times before he understood the gesture and quickly offered his hand. “A pleasure.”

Marco gracefully dumped his backpack on the desk and waited patiently for the lab instructor while Jean opted to play games on his phone. He watched as Marco brought his hands together and rested them on the table, sitting upright as he glanced around the room, while he beamed a tight lipped but enthusiastic smile at whoever glanced his way. His dark brown hair was parted in the middle and cleanly combed to either side of his head. He wore a white button down shirt underneath an itchy sweater vest. All he was missing was Jean’s black rimmed glasses and he would’ve been the text book example of a nerd. Not that Jean, a mechanical engineer with a minor in everything Batman, was any better.

Their first lab perfectly demonstrated why Jean loathed chemistry. Add chemicals A and B together, mixture C spilled onto Jean’s khaki shorts. Carefully stir the iced water so the temperature is even, the glass beaker shattered under Jean’s touch. Go grab some test strips because even he couldn’t mess that up… nope. His shirt got caught on a lab drawer and he faceplanted into another group’s ice bath.

“Oh my lord I’m going to chuck this beaker at the wall,” Jean declared through the paper towels Marco had graciously fetched for him after his impromptu ice bath.

“Just take a breather, I’ll go get the pH strips.”

“Fine… I hate chemistry.”

As promised, Marco returned with the necessary strips to continue their experiment. Jean attempted to mix their solutions one more time, but only succeeded in spilling it once more.

“Of for the love of—”

“Jean, calm down or you’re gonna end up like that,” Marco warned with a look of fear on his face. His finger pointed to a nearby group and their chemical solution that was bubbling over, leading to a panic attack among the freshmen.

“Panicking?”

“Worse, _overreacting_.”

Jean opened his mouth to complain once more, but it hung agape as he realized what just happened. His lab partner still wore a worried look, but it cracked when Jean quirked an eyebrow. Marco closed his mouth and pressed his lips into a tight smile, chuckling slightly.

“Did you just…?” 

Marco merely shrugged, choosing to return to their lab work so they wouldn’t be in their neighbor’s situation. What Jean had not missed was the twinkle in Marco’s eye for the remainder of lab, not realizing he had set the foundation of their entire relationship: science and puns.

\---

“I’m gonna do it,” Jean decided, idly tapping his mechanical pencil on his desk.

“No you’re not,” Eren dismissed.

“What makes you say that, Jaeger?” His voice was slightly agitated by his friend’s quick denial.

“Um, how about the last two years of trying and failing.” Eren was equally as spaced out as Jean during their final thermodynamics lecture, lazily staring at his half-filled notebook. He managed to write the first sentence of the lecture and a few equations that looked slightly important, not that the symbols made any sense to him. It was all Greek to him.

Jean’s notebook was in no better shape but he was going to pass this class like he did all the others: by the skin of his teeth. His attention span was infinitely longer than Jaeger’s, his reluctant engineering buddy, but something else had captured it today. It was his two TA’s for the class. One was a giant blond behemoth that practically lived at the gym, and the other was a tall tree of a person that casually reminded Jean of his roommate, lacking the freckles though. All semester Bertl, the tree man, would stare at his co-TA, always watching longer than any of the students, and more wistful than any boy should. One awkward meeting at the college’s LGBTQ center confirmed Jean’s suspicions that Bertl more than likely had a crush on his friend and coworker.

Jean didn’t want to be like that. He didn’t want to be far along in his college career and constantly yearning for something he could or couldn’t have. He took two years to get to know the kid, inside and out. Marco was a biology student on the verge of dropping pre-med, loved Marvel comics, and stared at boys a lot more than Jean. Jean could overlook all these faults though. 

He had helped him realize it was more important to follow your dreams and not his parents’, so med school wasn’t a necessity. He had shown Marco the glory that was Batman and the DC pantheon, even if Marco had convinced there was some merit in the Marvel super heroes. But most importantly Jean wanted to show him that the only boy he needed to stare at was already there. Two years of trying and he still hadn’t accomplished that one.

“I’m gonna do it. And so are you,” Jean grinned.

Eren cast a dark look his way at that statement. “What does that mean?”

“Before Christmas I’m gonna ask him out. You should ask Armin like you’ve been saying for two years.”

“Why would I do that now?”

“You’ve been trying all semester and it’ll motivate me.”

Eren gave him a deadpan look but offered no snarky reply. “Only if you’re there.”

“Same for me then. Deal?”

Eren snorted before rolling his eyes, giving Jean the answer he was looking for.

\---

“We’re going to a _what_?!” Marco exclaimed, pausing his massage.

“Drag show,” Jean grunted, not pleased at Marco’s sudden break. His roommate resumed his massage and Jean sunk back into his touch. “Jaeger needs back-up tonight and I promised I would help. Besides, haven’t you always wanted to go to one?”

“Yeah, b-but…”

“Eren needs me.”

“What’s he doing?”

Jean moaned a little once Marco finished, missing the light blush on his roommate’s face. “Finally confessing to Armin. Your lab partner is the MC so Eren wanted to catch him after the show while he was still happy.”

Marco blinked a few times before smiling. “Oh, then he should take a tip from a proton.”

Jean gave him a cautious glance before proceeding further in the conversation, fully aware of where it was going. He lived with him too long not know where it was going. “And what tip is that?”

“He needs to stay positive.”

“Marco, bro, stop.”

“Bromine oxygen? Don’t you mean bromine ununhexium?”

“Stop with the chemistry jokes.”

“But Jean,” Marco spoke with his most deadpan voice. “I only make them periodically.”

\---

The end of the semester drag show was notorious for being a no holds kind of show where debauchery and fun ran rampant. The performances had some stellar and not so subtle costumes that bordered on what Jean considered indecent, but they were enjoyable nonetheless. One thing Jean learned was that his roommate had an encyclopedic knowledge of pop songs since he managed to lip sync to every performance. While it was enjoyable for him to watch, Eren was an entirely different story.

The normally confident and determined engineering student that had grown on Jean like mold on bread sat on his hands, nervously sweating every time the little ray of sunshine that he liked would step out in between performances to introduce the next person.

Armin was leaving the stage, Eren’s eyes trailing his footsteps, as he announced the final performer for the evening. “Please give your hands up for Paris D. Bauchery!”

The lights in the room went out as loud clacks on the wooden stage cued the audience to the next person. As the sounds grew louder, the lights suddenly lit the stage once more, revealing a rather muscular queen. He was dressed in a long red velvety dress. Long purple gloves covered his arms until his shoulder, as pearls adorned his neck and left wrist. A gaudy blue ring and matching earrings provided some extra color and complimented his exaggerated eyeshadow. Paris looked much classier compared to the previous performers, as well as much more endowed with breasts than the others.

The music started calmly like a rainstorm, only coming full force midway through the song. “Hello. I was wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet to go over everything…”

Adele’s voice gave a much needed powerful backing to the blond performer, and his dance managed to do the song justice. Compared to some of the previous songs, it was a much more restrained routine with Paris simply gripping the microphone dramatically and strutting around the stage. A few brave souls went up to give tips, including one Jean and Eren recognized as their tree-like TA.

Bertl stood there tall and rigid, sweating under the intensity of either the lights or his nerves. Like many guys around him, he stuck out his arm with a dollar bill, yet he was ignored. Paris collected from the gentlemen and college students around their TA, including many that came after him. Despite this cold shoulder, he remained standing for the entire performance. As the song was coming to an end, Paris returned the microphone to its stand and lip synched the remainder of it as he approached their TA.

From their positions Jean and Eren could see that Paris had a translucent fabric around his arms, which he slipped off as he approached Bertl. Paris bent over, giving his tipper a generous view of his cleavage. Cautiously, their TA slipped the bill into Paris’ dress, only to have the translucent fabric wrap behind his torso. He was brought forward with such a force that surprised him, but the shock was brief as Paris punctuated the song with a big kiss on Bertl’s lips. Done with the song Paris began to strut back, winking over his shoulder at their disheveled TA, who had a giant pair of red lips pressed over his mouth.

“Go get him, Jaeger,” Jean encouraged once Armin took the stage to bid everyone a farewell. Eren went wide-eyed and stared at him.

“B-but you said you’d be there for it,” he sputtered.

“Well we’re here. And you gotta go over there.” Jean pushed him towards the backroom. Armin retreated from the stage, only a few minutes passed before emerged as nerdy as Jean knew him normally: blond hair pulled back into a pony tail, thick rimmed glasses, and a pastel blue sweater that was one size too big for him.

“Guys, what do I say?” Eren wondered as Armin caught notice of him, eagerly waving to him.

“Just don’t be an electron. Be honest,” Marco advised.

Jean face palmed as Eren gave him an even more confused look. “What?”

“Don’t be negative!”

Before Eren could retort, Armin walked over and hugged him.

“Oh my God you actually made it!” He beamed widely.

Marco and Jean backed away slowly as Eren engaged him, not wanting to interrupt the moment. Neither seemed to notice their disappearance towards the stage, now void of anyone except exiting performers. Jean sat on the edge, observing the conversation between the two: Armin excited and animated while Eren nodded his head to every word and shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. It was like the two were opposites for once.

A thud caught his attention from behind the stage and he saw his TA being pressed against the wall by a half dressed Paris D. Bauchery. Without his wig Jean easily recognized the drag queen as his blond TA that Bertl was clearly lusting after. Apparently the feelings were mutual.

“Everyone’s confessing tonight,” Jean remarked, smirking at the events unfolding in front of him. He almost missed Marco smiling at his comment. 

“Yeah, it’s about time.”

Jean tilted his head at that. “What do you mean?”

“Armin’s been chasing him all semester. I’m glad he finally noticed.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah, some people are just dense I guess,” Marco said wistfully, pushing himself off the stage as Eren lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Armin. “Like a rock. Or a neutron star.”

“Sounds like Jaeger.”

“Yup.”

Marco chuckled in agreement as they left the auditorium for food, shaking his head at his roommate. Some people really were dense.

\---

“No,” Jean dismissed instantly. “Never.”

“But it’s the holidays!” Marco pleaded, his face clearly distraught.

“I don’t care, no decorations. They’re so gawdy.”

“That didn’t stop you from carving fifteen pumpkins for Halloween.” Marco rolled his eyes.

Now Jean was hurt by the insinuation, letting his mouth hang open after swallowing some late night hamburger. “They were of great scientists, so its _different_.”

“They’re decorations, like the skeletons you hung around the living room.”

“I was honoring the scientists burned at the stake by the Church.”

Marco heaved a sigh, resting his cheek on his hand. “Can I at least put up a tree?”

“Why does everyone want to put up a Christmas tree?” Jean began as Marco let his head hit the table. A few things got Jean to rant about life: comics, idiots without an informed opinion, and Christmas. “Everyone raises their electric bills for a few glowing lights and a stupid manger with a baby in it. Why does one person get such a big holiday? You know who else was born on Christmas and was important?”

“Isaac Newton?” he answered correctly, already have heard this speech five times before finals.

“Isaac Newton! And he discovered gravity.”

Marco groaned as Jean continued rambling no longer interested in his food, when an idea struck him. All he had to do was wait for his best friend to finish talking and start eating once more. At least that meant he had plenty of time to plan to make some magic happen.

\---

The day after the drag show, Jean awoke with a serious crick in his neck thanks to passing out on a textbook at his desk. Finals were almost over and thermodynamics was only two days away. Sunshine alerted him he had slept much longer than anticipated. He stretched as best he could, taking notice of a flashing green light on his cell phone. He scooted his rolling chair across the room and picked up his phone: 1 missed message from Eren Jaeger.

**did you ask Marco? Armin said yes!**

Well of course he said yes, Jean watched Eren practically tackle the timid child at the drag show. He was also reminded of his failure though. He had prepared a speech and everything too, but he chickened out and opted for a quiet dinner with Marco instead. He really was pathetic.

Sighing at his cowardice, Jean emerged from his chair to go fetch some breakfast in the kitchen. Passing through his doorway, he immediately picked up on the fact that something didn’t seem right. He stepped on something small but hard. He removed his sock covered foot to find a pine needle on the ground. Actually he found several pine needles on the ground. As his eyes traced up the hallway to the kitchen, more and more pine needles coated the floor.

The trail of evergreens lead him to the living room, and to an even more interesting sight. Where their coffee table should’ve been stood a Christmas tree. Well, part of a tree.

Scattered on the ground were numerous branches belonging to the tree, specifically the lower two thirds of it. The poor plant was missing all but the top third of its branches. The top half was decorated with red ornaments and even a paper garland. The tree topper however was an apple. Directly underneath was a snoring Marco propped up against the trunk.

Feeling the need for an explanation, Jean plucked a ruby red ornament off the tree and dropped it on Marco’s head. This roused Marco from his slumber and rewarded Jean with a low groan.

His roommate glanced around drowsily until his eyes met Jean’s, causing him to jump up and his eyes to widen. “Jean!”

“Marco. What’s all this?” Jean gestured to the discarded branches giving the living room a pine tree smell.

“Err, my holiday project.” Marco blushed.

“What did I say about Christmas trees?”

“Don’t put one up.”

“Exactly. And what did you do?”

“Put up an apple tree.”

Jean’s mouth opened but no words came out. He stared at the tree topper and started wondering if that’s what Marco meant. “What?”

“I tried to make an apple tree. For Sir Isaac Newton,” Marco explained, turning to face his handiwork. A cough escaped Jean’s throat as his eyes widened, taking note that only red ornaments also decorated the tree. Marco attempted to make an apple tree? “I admit it’s not the best but I only had last night before I go back home for break.

“Oh yeah, you’re done already,” Jean recalled out loud. He stared at the tree and then back to Marco who was still covered in pine needles. His roommate frowned at his work, as if he were disappointed in himself. “I like it.”

“What?!” Marco turned suddenly, not expecting that at all.

“I like it,” Jean confessed, touched by Marco’s effort. In less than an evening he managed to try and make an homage to Jean’s favorite scientist and to appease him. God Marco was adorable. “I mean it’s clearly a pine tree still, but I really do like it.”

“Thanks, although we might need to replace the apple on top before it rots,” Marco smiled.

That was the last straw for Jean’s will. He had to tell him. Before he left to Jinae for break. “Marco, I have something I want to tell you.”

Jean’s voice deepened and became serious, earning a quizzical look from Marco. “What’s wrong?”

His puzzled but concerned look made Jean’s insides twist around each other, leaving him with sweaty palms and a chill traveling down his back. “Isaac Newton’s Third Law states that objects in motion stay in motion and those at rest remain at rest. Well, my feelings for you has kinda been the same since we first met.”

“They’ve been at rest?” he replied, still confused.

“No! God no! They started moving and never stopped. Every time I see you my stomach twists, those shitty butterflies flutter, all of it. Every bizarre idea, every smile, and yes, even your terrible jokes— they all make me like you that much more.”

Marco’s face lit up as he took in the information, quickly relieving some of the pressure Jean was feeling. “You do like my puns!”

“I might be lying about that one. No one likes them.”

“But you just said you did.”

“Marco, that’s not the point!”

“You’re right, Jean,” his face suddenly dropped all trace of joy and became deathly serious. Marco’s expression made goose bumps appear on Jean’s skin, bringing back all his nerves. “We’re talking in circles, so there is no point.”

Jean paused, clearly scared of what was just said. However, after a few moments the depth of what just happened began to sink in. “D-did you just…?”

A sly grin betrayed Marco’s demeanor and brought out his laughter. “I might’ve.”

“I’m serious!”

“Hi Serious, I’m Sir Isaac Newton. Perhaps you’ve heard of my three laws. The first of which deals with inertia, not the third,” Marco joked. Jean wanted to argue, but his best friend’s point came across to him. He, Jean Kirschtein and physics enthusiast, messed up the Laws of Motion. “The third law says that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. And for your action, I feel an equal reaction. But not opposite.”

“Uh, what?” Jean’s face was so red from embarrassment he couldn’t process what Marco meant.

“I like you too.” Marco confessed.

In that moment Jean understand Eren’s reaction, and jumped to close the distance between him and Marco. Expecting that very thing, Marco braced himself before the impact, catching Jean in a tight hug. They remained that way for a while until Jean’s stomach got the best of him and let out a loud cry for food.

As they parted for to go get breakfast, Jean tapped Marco on the shoulder. “You know, that was still a terrible joke.”

“Oh really? What’s my _pun-_ ishment?” Marco quirked an eyebrow.

“Marco.”

“Serious?”

“Marco!”

**Author's Note:**

> This was a treat to write for [charperche](http://charperche.tumblr.com/). It's also the punniest thing I've ever written so i hope it delivered there. I was given the options for nerds and drag shows, two of my favorite things, and I brought 'em together as best I could so I hope it delivered! Charpie's art is fantastic as seen with Reiner's drag outfit above so please pay a visit to their tumblr to see more of Chapie's talent! Check it out, now.
> 
> All comments and feedback are appreciated, on here or on [tumblr](http://firegrilled.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Happy holidays everyone!


End file.
